Amanda's LifeBlogging

Introducing the New Advice from a 20 Something!

posted on January 13, 2017 | by Amanda Holstein

Notice anything different?

I’m SO excited to finally reveal the new look of Advice from a 20 Something!

I launched Advice from a 20 Something back in 2012. I’ve played with a few different website designs since then, but it wasn’t until 2016 that I decided to have a serious conversation with design experts and really nail down the brand identity of Advice from a 20 Something. The brand has always been about down-to-earth & friendly advice paired with a laid back California style. But now the look and feel of the site finally represent the content and the voice more accurately. Let’s dive into some of the changes, shall we?

New Logo

I worked with the amazing ladies at Spruce Rd. to design my new logo and I couldn’t be happier with the results. You’ll notice that “20”, which was hand-crafted by Melissa at Spruce Rd., appears in multiple locations on the site. The colors have transitioned to a cooler spectrum, which I feel better aligns with the brand’s imagery and style.

When trying to really clarify who the Advice from a 20 Something girl is, my designer asked me many questions. The one that stood out to me the most was, “Where does she shop?”. My answer? She’s an Anthropologie meets Madewell meets Free People kind of girl. Based on that, I’d say she totally nailed the design!

New Layout

Updating a site’s layout is not an easy task. But being able to find new content and navigate the site more easily were two major priorities of mine. Thanks to Chloé Digital, I was able to totally revamp the site layout, hopefully improving the experience for you. When looking on the homepage you’ll notice I kept the carousel where I’ll feature top posts from the current month. Below that, you’ll find the five most recent posts. Below that, you’ll see a peek at the latest posts from my Instagram. And finally, I’ll feature four more posts below that, each from different categories of the site. You’ll also find the “Ask Amanda” form towards the bottom of the page at all times so that you can submit a question at any time! To continue viewing the latest posts, just click “next” at the bottom right of the homepage.

New Navigation

My goal when updating Advice from a 20 Something was also to make the site easier to use. For returning readers, I wanted to organize the content better and encourage you to explore past posts with easier functionality (check out that new navigation bar!). I provided more content on the homepage as well, so if you like to check the site everyday, you’ll find more content besides the one new post of the day. For new readers, I wanted to make it easier to understand what Advice from a 20 Something is about right off the bat. More content on the homepage and easier navigation were both meant to help with that.

A HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to both Spruce Rd. for their incredible branding work
and to Chloé Digital for designing and building the site exactly how I wanted it. Thank you, thank you!!

I would SO love to hear your thoughts on the new logo, layout, navigation — anything at all.
The updates were all for YOU to better enjoy the site, so your opinions mean the world to me!